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Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

nytimes.com

1–10 of 140 posts

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#2
>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added.

Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them.

big facepalm

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#3
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

> Children have no problems with happiness or well-being.

Have you ever met a child IRL?

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#4
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

> Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children?

Because people live in an artificial world. In the absence of real problems everything is emotionally traumatic, first world problems.

As I sit next to a war on a military deployment I await people to prove me right with the sadness of their downvotes.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#5
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

Have it ever occurred to you that adults have mental problems because they didn't learn to manage it as children and young adults?

Besides, depression and anxiety is surprisingly common among children.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#6
My daughters homework for each day this week is :

1. Talk about your feelings.

2. Do something you are good at.

3. Keep yourself hydrated.

4. Eat well.

5. Keep active in mind and body.

6. Take a break.

7. Stay connected to those you care about.

8. Ask for help.

9. Be proud of your very being.

10. Actively care for others.

She has a chart she needs to tick once she has achieved each item.

I get that they are all good things to do and perhaps it provides a talking point in families where these things aren't considered, but it seems a bit much to throw it all in at once. Next week she will probably be back to learning her 3 times tables..

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#7
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

You were a very lucky child then :)

Edit: Apologies for the sarcastic response, couldn't help it. Children can and do feel unhappy, some more than others. This feels like an amazing step in the right direction because many people (myself included) don't learn early on that feeling sad or overwhelmed is normal and ok. We strive to "feel good" and stress about it, without tools to cope. Most adults either ignore this or go to therapy, but maybe from now on people will be more prepared.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#8
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

>The initiative comes months after a survey commissioned by the National Health Service found that one in eight children in England between the ages of 5 and 19 suffered from at least one mental disorder at the time of their assessment in 2017.

>The survey, which was published in November, also indicated a slight increase in mental disorders in five to 15-year-olds, which rose to 11.2 percent in 2017 from 9.7 percent in 1999. Disorders like anxiety and depression were the most common, affecting one in 12 children and early adolescents in 2017, and appeared more often in girls.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#9
post #3
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

> Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. Have you ever met a child IRL?

In my experience kids, until a certain age, run around, scream, shout, full of excitement, happiness, and life.

But once they start looking at adults - all they see only dark, gloomy, lifeless serious faces and so they start becoming the same.

If adults want to do something about it - we should teach happiness ourselves first. Kids will follow automagically.

Re: Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

#10
post #2

>“Children will start to be introduced gradually to issues around mental health, well-being and happiness right from the start of primary school,” he added. Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Children have no problems with happiness or well-being. It's us who should learn from them. big facepalm

> Why wouldn't adults just solve their mental problems instead of introducing them to children? Because people live in an artificial world. In the absence of real problems everything is emotionally traumatic, first world problems. As I sit next to a war on a military deployment I await people to prove me right with the sadness of their downvotes.

My teenage brother just lost his father to cancer. But that's surely just a first-world problem.
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